At least two other people were hurt but the extent of their injuries was not known, according to Mike Sanders, a spokesman for the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office. Identities of the dead and injured were not available.
``The train was eastbound and somehow came in contact with an 18-wheeler tanker truck carrying some type of fuel,'' Sanders said.
The Sheriff's Office got the call at 10:05 a.m., Sanders said.
``They didn't have to say much, we saw it from where we were. There was a lot of smoke,'' Sanders said.
The fire was under control by 11 a.m.
Area resident Sheila Wallace said she heard a series of explosions and first thought there was trouble at a nearby refinery.
``The black smoke was everywhere. We were really scared. I think everyone that lives around here was scared,'' Wallace said.
The accident happened along St. Bernard Highway near Paris Road. Parish president Henry ``Junior'' Rodriguez said that benzene counts in the sewer system were found to be high after the accident. That led to a few businesses near the accident scene being evacuated briefly while the system was flushed out.
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